NPR-A lease sale tops $163 million, drawing praise and criticism ? https://t.co/JlHhNx5Iu0 pic.twitter.com/s8wWFRyaNJ

— Alaska's News Source (@AKNewsNow) March 19, 2026

Arctic Alaska oil and gas lease sale draws record bidding, despite legal clouds. The first lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska since 2019 generated $163 million in high bids, but some bids were for protected land. https://t.co/m0auOeP3f9

— Bering/Chukchi News (@BeringChukchi) March 19, 2026

Despite pushback and even legal action, the first Alaska National Petroleum Reserve lease sale since the first Trump administration was held this week. Alaska’s News Source has some details on how money was bidder on the tracts that also contain critical subsistence resources for Alaskans:

The Interior Department says a new oil and gas lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska brought in more than $163 million Wednesday.

Federal officials said leases were sold covering about 1.3 million acres.

Alaska is expected to receive about half the revenue, about $82 million, with some funds going to North Slope communities.

The Bureau of Land Management said the sale was the first in the reserve since 2019.

As the Alaska Beacon reports, some of the bids went towards lands that have been protected in the past:

Much of the bidding in Wednesday’s sale was for territory that was previously off-limits to oil development under protections that date as far back as the Reagan administration.

The inclusion of long-protected land in the sale, predominantly the area around ecologically sensitive Teshekpuk Lake, made the lease sale contentious. It is the subject of two lawsuits filed by Native and environmental groups.

Bids were accepted even for tracts within an area encircling Teshekpuk Lake, the North Slope’s largest lake, despite a federal court order issued Monday that reinstated development prohibitions there.

Some more reaction and analysis:

This map illustrates the preliminary results of the 2026 National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) Oil & Gas Lease Sale, which took place on March 18, 2026.

This was a record-breaking auction, generating approximately $163 million in high bids across 187 tracts.

Lease… pic.twitter.com/SLixFdWYyk

— 907Honest (@907Honest) March 19, 2026

Today marks a true milestone in restoring Alaska’s role as a cornerstone of American energy production. This historic lease sale is proof that the world is ready to invest in Alaska when the path is clear. https://t.co/zg5ZgPEFIc

— Congressman Nick Begich (@RepNickBegich) March 19, 2026

This is a great day for Alaska that further demonstrates the world-class energy potential across our North Slope. The delegation has focused on the NPR-A not only because it is a petroleum reserve—one of the most obvious places to produce energy anywhere in the nation—but also…

— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) March 18, 2026

UPDATE: Here’s a Department of the Interior press release from the sale:

Interior Generates over $163 million from National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Oil and Gas Lease Sale 

First One Big Beautiful Bill Act sale results in 187 leases covering 1.3 million acres

03/18/2026

The Department of the Interior held a landmark oil and gas lease sale today for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, resulting in 187 leases and $163,696,722 in total receipts. The sale, which was the first for the reserve since 2019 and the first under President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, made history for the leasing program in the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, with the most revenue generated ever, the most tracts receiving bids and the second most acreage sold in a single sale. 

“Today’s lease sale underscores the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska’s vital role in strengthening America’s energy security while fueling economic growth across Alaska,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “The Reserve was created to support our nation’s energy needs, and this successful sale demonstrates what’s possible when we align responsible development with that original purpose. Revenues from these leases will help bolster local communities, create good?paying jobs, and ensure that Alaska continues to be a cornerstone of America’s domestic energy production.” 

The Bureau of Land Management offered 625 tracts across approximately 5.5 million acres for bid in today’s sale. In response, 11 companies submitted bids on 187 tracts covering 1,334,967 acres.  

The State of Alaska will receive nearly $82 million, 50 percent of the bid receipts.  A portion of those proceeds benefit North Slope communities through the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Impact Mitigation program.    

Since January 2025, the Bureau of Land Management has been expeditiously implementing direction to unlock the reserve’s energy potential through Executive Order 14153, Secretary’s Order 3422 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.  Actions taken include the rescission of the 2024 rule that restricted leasing and development in the reserve, withdrawal of three policy documents that sought to unnecessarily expand limitations in special areas, and approval of an updated Integrated Activity Plan that reopens nearly 82 percent of the reserve to oil and gas leasing.   

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Bureau of Land Management must hold at least five lease sales in the reserve by 2035, each offering no fewer than four million acres.   

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska lease sales have generated more than $457 million since 1999, with revenues supporting the U.S. Treasury, the State of Alaska, and North Slope communities. Information on all National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska sales, as well as a map, GIS shape files, and a table with today’s complete sale results by tract are available at Bureau of Land Management Alaska Oil and Gas Lease Sales website.